Fit, Healthy, and Ready To Learn: A School Health Policy Guide. Part II: Policies To Promote Sun Safety and Prevent Skin Cancer.

Fraser, Katherine

This publication is a supplementary chapter to "Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn: A School Health Policy Guide; Part I: General School Health Policies, Physical Activity, Healthy Eating, and Tobacco-Use Prevention." It discusses various aspects of a complete school policy and plan to promote sun safety. The first section "Purpose and Goals," explains that a strong statement of purpose and goals provides a firm foundation for sound policy, examining systematic needs assessment and program evaluation; The second section, "Sun Safety Education," notes that sound policies emphasize the importance of encouraging young people to routinely adopt sun-safe habits whenever they are outdoors in the daytime. It also discusses sun safety lesson reinforcement and teacher preparation. The third section, "Outdoor Activities and the School Environment," explains that a sound program must stress educators' commitment to sun safety when students are outdoors, focusing on access to shade and scheduling physical education classes and other outdoor activities. The fourth section, "Sun Safety for School Staff," emphasizes that sun safety policies must go beyond classroom education, shade, and student behavior to focus on all staff. The fifth section, "Family and Community Involvement," explains that family and community involvement is integral to school health programs, and policies must explicitly address these aspects of sun safety. (Contains 31 references.) (SM)